An Interview with Tanner, My Golden Retriever, and Houdini Wannabe

by Carrie Boyko

(c) Carrie Boyko

Tanner, My Goofy Golden

This idea was prompted by a reader's letter that suggested I help you guys get into the heads of my dogs--i.e. get to know them a little better. What better way to get acquainted than with an interview.


I know it's a little quirky, and a lot corny, but if anyone knows what my dogs are thinking, it's me, so here's Tanner's interview. Hope you enjoy:

Tanner:

"I'm over the hyperactive stage now; just give me a daily walk or dog park visit and don't leave out the afternoon swim with my favorite fetch toys. Fetch is loads of fun, and I'm trying to teach Mom to throw a Frisbee. I could use some help with that, but I guess we all have talents and challenges. Mom says she throws like a girl, and she's not kidding!"

"I love chow time and I'm the master of patience while waiting for meal preparation. What is it that takes Mom so long to put food in a bowl? She rubs her scent on our bowls, then scoops the food with her hands, makes meatballs for Xena's thyroid medicine, and finally, our bowls are put on the floor. I almost always get to eat first, because I'm the best at waiting patiently. Mom and I are both proud of my personal best stay. While we were waiting for permission to eat one morning, the doorbell rang. By the time she returned it was nearly 30 minutes later and I was sitting in a puddle of drool. My breakfast was still in my bowl though. I got lots of praise for that!"

"Meeting mom at the door when she comes home from errands and stuff is really exciting. She always has good smells on her and I enjoy giving her a good once-over. Sometimes we think about getting into Therapy dog work so that I can go out and share my friendly nature with lonely folks. I'd really like that."

"I love going to see the vet. We always shop for goodies there in the place where they keep pup toys and stuff. My vet gives me a nice massage while I get my physical. Mom says I have to get shots sometimes, but she talks to me like everything is fine and I never notice them. What's up with that? Patches, my cat, turns a shot into an international event!"

"Next to my pool and the dog park, my favorite place to play is my doggie daycare, where I go to hang with the 'ruff crowd.' All my best friends are there and we play with the toys, run on the grass, play in the pool, and jump around on the walls and obstacles. The girls that help us play have to put extra locks on the gates to keep me from opening all the doors, gates and other latches. It's a talent I have that is very useful. Yesterday, we had company in my pool, and I was not invited. Imagine that?! I let myself out the front door and went around back to swim with the guests. I'm so smart!"

"Speaking of obstacles, I tried out agility training for a year and a half. I really had a blast on everything except the teeter; it was sorta scary, but I did it anyway. Mom and Miss Joanne said it was okay, so I believed them. Between you and me, I'm much better at Fetch.

"I can't give an interview without telling you what an extrovert I am. I LOVE everybody--dogs, people, cats, rabbits--you name it. I'm so friendly that I get my feelings hurt when people walk by without stopping to say hello. And snobbish dogs; well, I just don't understand that!"

"I better go now. Xena is frolicking with one of Dad's socks; that always means she'll be wanting to wrestle with me soon. I'm there for ya, Xena! Us pups gotta have our playtime."

Have you been over to check out OUR BLOG? It's called 5 Minutes for Fido. Xena, Oliver and I have started our own blog with tips for living happily with your dogs. After all, we're the experts. We have the happiest family ever. If you read more here, you'll see. I have the life!

Coming Soon:


An Interview with Xena, my Super Sweet, Senior, Retriever Mix, Rescued Rover and An Interview with Oliver

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Why You Shouldn't WALK Your Dog Every Day

by Carrie Boyko

© Alan Boyko

Biking Your Dog

A Completely Different Sensory Experience

Did I get your attention? That was a pretty radical title, designed to get you dog exercise enthusiasts all riled up. I hope it worked, because now I'd like to show you why your dog needs more than a daily walk. Come along for a little ride with me:


Have you ever biked with your dog? Perhaps this is not a possibility for you. Neopolitan Mastiffs need not apply; Teacup Yorkies might not be able to keep up. It's okay. However, as the owner of a toy breed, Papillon, and a 70 lb. Golden Retriever, among my pack, I can tell you that biking is a very different type of stimulation for your dog. It reaches down to their DNA and reminds them of their ancestors chasing their dinner, herding the farm stock, or pulling a sled. You might find it hard to believe your toy breed could be motivated to pull a sled, yet my Pap would most certainly surprise you; he is a better sled dog than my Golden. Surprised? I was too.


All this said, the message is that walking is, at the very least, just a mild form of exercise. After a 3 mile walk, your dog's heartrate may be elevated, and he probably met a few pups along the way and enjoyed some pleasant, enticing smells. But this will never match the excitement of an invigorating run.


Runners can tell you about the 'runner's high' they get when the endorphins are released and they feel like they can run forever. I have not found this to be the case with my dogs, and yet they never sit and say "I'm done."


No, I'm not recommending that you run or bike with your dog every day. Their joints and ours need rest and down time. What I am suggesting is a variety of types of exercise, to heighten all of your dog's senses, giving him a well-rounded endurance experience.


A visit to an off-leash dog park is on a whole different level. While each dog's energy and activity is different, you can encourage exercise in a lazier pup with a ball-chucker, Frisbee or other favorite toy. Just be aware that it may not come home with you. Occasionally another dog will take ownership of your toy and not give it up. Good luck with that! You can minimize the damage to your wallet by sticking to FETCH with a tennis ball.


I've left the best part of dog park visits out. While your dog is exercising off-leash, he is getting a sense of what it is like to not be contained--no yard, house, car, small fenced yard or crate to keep him from getting to the dogs and humans he wants to meet.


My pack seems to enjoy the social atmosphere at the dog park just as much as the physical freedom. They may dream of a leash-free world, but remember that in that fantasy world there are many humans, as well as dogs, for them to befriend. This is a healthy socialization experience that you cannot get on a leash. The dynamic of a restrained dog greeting is different for most dogs. Any canine behavior expert will tell you, most dogs have some form of barrier excitement--the extreme need to run up to a passerby--dog or human--and greet them.


Am I telling you not to practice socialization skills on a leash? Absolutely not! That's where it should begin. But where? The answer is anywhere, or perhaps everywhere--everywhere that dogs and owners walk together.


As soon as you begin leash training with your new boarder, it is time to start your regular visits to places like Petsmart, Petco, walking trails, and dog-friendly areas of all types. Save the first dog park experience for when your pup is fully innoculated, well-socialized with people and dogs on a leash, and confident in his greeting behavior.  A well-mannered dog knows that giving and accepting a canine greeting sniff at the back-end is the only acceptable hand-shake in the dog world.


I'll be back another day to discuss more exercise options, not to leave out swimming, of course. For now, get out and give your dog some variety. His behavior will change markedly as a result, and you will be pleased. I guarantee it!


Related Reading:


Backpacks aren't Just for Students and Hikers
Biking with Your Dog: Fun and Fitness for Both of You
Swimming isn't Just for Lab Lovers
Teaching Your Dog to Fetch

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FREE and FUN: New Features at All Things Dog Blog

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ASK THE TRAINER at All Things Dog Blog

Spring is here and we're celebrating with a little spring spruce up. The blog has a few new features that you'll likely enjoy. If you receive my posts via FREE subscription, then this is particularly important for you. When you get my articles, you DO NOT get my sidebar or all the fun things it has to offer. That is why it is so important that you visit the actual blog at All Things Dog Blog from time to time--just to see what you might have missed in the sidebar or the bottom anchor.

For instance, if you scroll all the way to the bottom of the blog, you'll find a full-sized photo slideshow of Tanner's high-activity lifestyle. We are a very busy pack, as you can see from the small slideshow in this post.

Oliver and Xena each have their own slideshow, as well, located throughout the sidebar at right. These are smaller, but include many cute photos.

I'm proud to be partnering with Adopt-a-Pet to encourage pet adoptions. Feel free to go shopping! Their search boxes and links are found along the right, and at the bottom. The bottom search box has all their cool features. Pick a breed, type of pet, age, and more, and you can even save your search. Adopt-a-Pet will keep looking for your pet in your area. They'll email you when they find it. Is that cool, or what?!!

That's not all in the adoption arena. I'm also featuring the rescues of a local friend, whose available pups are scattered throughout the sidebar. Feel free to go shopping!

Along the way in the right sidebar, you'll find Tanner announcing the Best of All Things Dog Blog. These are YOUR favorite posts, voted for by readers with their visits. It's like a little mini-library of your most favorite posts. I hope you'll stop in and browse a bit. Did I miss a favorite of yours? If so, be sure to let me know at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. I'll add it to the list--pronto!


Dr. Jacki now has her very own archives page at Dr. Jacki's Archives. You'll also find this link under her photo in the sidebar, if you want to revisit it again sometime. Need an answer to a common pet question? You're likely to find it there. If not, you can  write to her here at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com, or contact her for a personal consultation at 4 Paws House Calls, to go over your pet's problems in detail.


Have you been reading our Frisbee 101 series? This series of 5 articles is written by national competitor Chris Engel, who adopted Kota. Kota is a rescue that you may have seen on our site last summer. It was fun to connect with Chris, when he found Kota's picture on my blog. What a surprise for both of us!


Here are the links to Chris's articles (and a video of Kota's first appearance), if you're interested in learning more about teaching your dog Frisbee skills:

• Frisbee Dog 101: Part I
• Frisbee Dog 101: Dog Selection (Part II)
• Frisbee Dog 101: Getting Your Dog Ready to be a Disc Dog (Part III)
• Frisbee Dog 101: Frisbee Training Begins (Part IV) 
• Kota's First Public Appearance: A Video
• Frisbee Dog 101: Frisbee Choices for Your Disc Dog (Part V) 

ASK THE TRAINER Archives will come out sometime this spring. For now, its easy to scroll down or click through the archives in the sidebar to read Judy's posts. Thanks for welcoming her column so graciously. Keep those letters coming!


I've also added a few fun widgets (geek talk for gadgets that do something) in the sidebar. When you have time to explore, you can play with them, and see what happens when you click. Enjoy!

Finally, I'll wrap this up with a technical bang: What is RSS? If you are curious about how you can get the most out of All Things Dog Blog and your whole Internet experience in general, then I encourage you to read this short explanation of how to use this very simple technology--FREE. If you decide to read it later, the link is near the top of the sidebar, just under the subscription boxes.

FREE is a good way to end this. I hope you are enjoying this FREE blog and that you'll feel free to comment, email me or stop me when you see me--just to give me your thoughts or suggestions. Happy tails! 

Visit Adopt a Dog Park 

 Help protect our precious dog parks

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Frisbee Choices for Your Disc Dog

Frisbee Choices: Part V

by Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

(c) photo copyright Kristie Moser
Bandit's Frisbee of Choice

In order to wrap up this Frisbee Dog 101 series, it's important to mention disc selection. There are many out there. First off, the discs you can buy at most pet stores are completely useless and, in fact, can harm your dog. They can be extremely brittle and have sharp rims which might cut your dog’s gums.

Just do a search for canine discs and you should come up with a few. The three best discs on the market can be found at:

• Skyhoundz (there is also a WEALTH of information here on dog training and competition schedules)
• Hero Disc USA
• DT World

At these sites you'll find a wide variety of discs for differnt situations. It’s best if you just buy a few (or ask me if you see me at a field and I'll let you throw any of mine !!) and start experimenting to see what works best for you and your dog.  Some discs are softer, some discs are more bite resistant, some discs are smaller for small dogs; the options go on and on. Feel free to contact me at my email address, Bandit@Team-Bandit.com, should you have any questions or want to speak more on this topic. I'll be happy to help!

Well, I hope this has provided you with a foundation for getting started with your dog and I REALLY hope to see you on the field one day. For now ... this is Chris, Bandit and "Flight Time" Kota signing off.

Happy Disc Doggin !

Chris Engel
Leesburg Florida bandit@team-bandit.com

Just in case you missed the first four articles in this Frisbee Dog series, here are the links so you can read up:

Part I: Frisbee Dog 101, Part I in a Series of V

Part II: Dog Selection for Frisbee Dog Enthusiasts

Part III: Getting Your Dog Ready to Become a "Disc Dog"

Part IV: Frisbee Training Begins...

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Check out my guest post at Dog Park USA!

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Frisbee Dog Debut: Chris and Kota

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I know you have all been enjoying the guest posts from Chris Engel about training a Frisbee dog. Let me hear you cheer wildly for Kota's first appearance:

(c) video copyright Team-Bandit.com

Chris will be back in a few days with one final entry to his series on disc dogging. In this last post, Chris will give you the insider's view on choosing discs. You will find this very interesting, as it seems that a typical Frisbee is not your best choice. Tanner and I plan to go shopping!

Celebrating being named to the 
Top 100 Pet Blogs

Be sure to visit Adopt a Dog Park to learn 

what you can do to help protect our precious dog parks.

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Frisbee Training Begins...

Part IV in a Series of V

by Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

(c) photo copyright Kristie Moser

Kota Demonstrates his Talent 

Welcome back to Frisbee Dog 101. This is Part IV in my series of V. If you have missed the first 3, you might want to go back and catch up at these links:

Part I

Part II

Part III 

From here training becomes much more specialized, depending on your dog. If your dog has no interest whatsoever, or does not know what a Frisbee is, try this. Start with a Frisbee upside down on the ground and move it back and forth in an effort  to get your dog to chase it. If he does chase, then by all means let him catch it and praise him when he does. Continue this until you feel comfortable your dog knows his job is to go after the disc when it comes out. He must also learn to release it when asked. I use the command "drop it" with both of my dogs.

Bandit used to want to keep the disc and play tug-of-war, which I refused to do, especially if I asked him to drop. I would turn my back and wait for him to drop. Once he did drop, I would praise him profusely; then we would resume play. Every once in a while he tests my resolve and refuses to relinquish the disc; however, once I show him my back, it's aways at my feet in just a matter of seconds.

Kota, on the other hand, didn't care if I turned my back. She would simply walk around front. We went in circles for about a week till I figured out all I had to do was show her another disc and she would drop the one she had in a second. I adopted a method of saying drop then producing a second disc, which got her to drop, and then I would praise with food. After about 2 days she was dropping anything and everything from as far away as she could hear!

Next step for me was short tosses, first just a foot or two. When Bandit caught it I went berserk ! It kinda freaked him out, so I scaled back my animation and within a week he was catching 50% of the throws I was putting up in the air .... till he hit a telephone pole and I felt TERRIBLE (although it didn't seem to phase him one bit).

This was when I learned I had to really pick and choose where I throw. I also needed to have complete control over my discs and know where they were going to go when they left my hand. Remember, not every throw has to be a touchdown. You can make a LOT more points in a competition if you are consistent, rather than connecting on a few big throws.

Be sure to watch for part V of my series, when I will help you out with choosing Frisbees. Even if you’re just in this for some backyard fun, you need a Frisbee that is safe and works well for your dog. It’s not as simple as a trip to Petsmart, but I’ll give you all the tricks of the trade. Hope to see you then.

Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

Watch for All Things Dog Blog's next post, 

when I will air video of Kota's very first public event.

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Getting Your Dog Ready to become a 'Disc Dog'

Frisbee Dog 101:  Beginner Training

by Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

(c) photo copyright Kristie Moser

Bandit is Catching on Quickly

Thanks for joining us today for Part III of Frisbee Dog 101, by guest writer Chris Engel. You can read Parts I and II at these links.

The absolute best foundation you can build on a great Frisbee dog has absolutely nothing to do with Frisbees at all. I went to a puppy pre-school with Bandit where I learned about socialization, proper methods to train and handle dogs, and this was where I learned probably the most important thing which I had no clue I even needed to learn. It was all about how to communicate with my dog.

You will build a very strong bond between you and your dog as you go through this process.  You must learn how to give your dog the tools it needs to succeed. There are millions of ways to get there and you must figure that out with your dog.

How? You could hire a pro for a while if you feel you are not progressing at a level you need to be at. Maybe join a message board of like-minded trainers or enthusiasts where you can bounce ideas around and get tips and pointers. Also, find people locally who have the same interest so you can train together. Sometimes it's best to have another set of eyes looking at a sequence or routine. Your training partner may be able to shed light on why an expected behavior is not happening.

Training sessions should be kept short and you should always end on a positive behavior and reward. If you train too long your dog may become bored, and if your dog is never rewarded, he may lose desire to train altogether.

Find that special item that your dog will go nuts for and then use that as a reward for performing proper behaviors. My dog, Kota, will take a bullet for a food treat where Bandit could care less about food, but might just take that same bullet for a chance to chase a Frisbee and catch it.

Whatever that reward is, make sure it remains special and do not over stimulate and make it become just another item. If it's Frisbee training you are after, you can also get the dog used to it by using your disc as a food bowl or water dish. Never leave them out so they become a chew toy. By only bringing them out when it's time to play (or train) they will begin to know exactly what is going on and training will then become the reward.

At my next post, I will help you begin the process of training your dog to chase and catch a Frisbee. In the meantime, you can visit me at Team-Bandit or check us out at Youtube.

Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

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FRISBEE DOG 101: Dog Selection for Frisbee Dog Enthusiasts

Part II in a series of V

by Chris Engel
Team-Bandit

(c) photo copyright Kristie Moser
Kota was Adopted 
Because of His Love for the Frisbee

This article is Part II in a series entitled Frisbee Dog 101, by guest writer Chris Engel. Today Chris will share his thoughts on selecting a dog for Frisbee training. If you missed Part I, you can read it at Frisbee Dog 101 .

As I mentioned before, ANY dog will do as a disc dog, but there may be some things to think about, such as ... You really don't want a dog that is too big. Bandit is 50 pounds and while he can run really fast and jumps really well I don't think I really want him jumping off me because he would gain too much height and velocity to land safely. He might just take me out if he hit me at full speed. Each person has their own comfort zone, but for me an athletic dog around 20 to 30 pounds does quite nicely.

Also, a dog that enjoys leaping and does it for fun is going to make things much easier when you are trying to channel that energy into a controlled sequence that includes some leaps. Herding dogs do rather well, but again ... I really must stress ANY dog will do, so don't get caught up with having to find a specific breed because you think or have heard they are better than others.

If you select a puppy make sure you do not do ANY leaping or vaulting training until your puppy is , at the very least, 12 months--and preferably 15 months--of age. Let your puppy's bones grow enough so that you will not do any harm to him by asking him to perform stressful athletics before his body is ready for it.

If you just have to get started immediately, I suggest you find a dog that is old enough and ready to start learning with you. There are TONS of rescue organizations out there, so choose one locally and tell them what you are looking for. They already have a lot of experience, so USE IT !!!!! You don't have to pick the first dog ... just pick the right dog! Doing some homework and reading up on the types of dogs and their general charateristics will help a lot as well.

I’ll be back soon with Part III of my series, Frisbee Dog 101. If you’d like to learn more about our sport, you can visit my site at Team-Bandit. 

Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

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FRISBEE DOG 101: Part I in a Series of V

by Guest Writer Chris Engel
Team-Bandit.com

(c) photo copyright Kristie Moser

Bandit Catches a Frisbee

Please welcome guest writer Chris Engel, a Frisbee dog competitor with Team-Bandit out of Leesburg, Florida. Chris’s dog Bandit has quite an extensive bio, which you can find at this link. He and his newest addition, Kota, participate in disc dog competitions, demonstrations and fundraisers all over the country. Here’s Chris:

So you've seen the Youtube videos and maybe caught a glimpse of those amazing dogs on TV at the Incredible Dog Challenge, and thought ... "Man! Wouldn't it be neat if I could get Spot to do that !!!" Well that's what I thought anyway and I didn't even have a DOG back then. Little did I know that would all change one day when I got Bandit.

In fact, I had completely forgotten about Frisbee dogs and was just looking for a good dog for my wife and myself. I've learned a boatload about dogs and thought this might be a good time to share some of that knowledge with anyone who might be looking for a dog or who wants to get their dog into playing Frisbee.

First and foremost, it should be mentioned that ANY dog can be a great Frisbee dog. Many of the dogs that win National championships in all of the competitive formats are from shelters just like the one in your community. Many of them end up there because they have too much energy or are too hyper for their owners to handle. This is exactly the type of characteristic that can turn a rescue into a superstar. Every dog has a superstar in him ... some just don't need to be coaxed into showing it.

What most people do not realize when they have this type of dog is that with just a little time and energy on their part they can give their dog the job he needs so when it's time for ‘down time’ in the house, he'll be good and he'll know when to turn it on for a performance. By teaching your dog that the Frisbee is it's job, he'll have a sense of purpose in the pack and be a much better behaved dog because of it.

I have also found that Frisbee dog training helps me when I'm having a tough day. My dogs and I work hard and focus on the task at hand, and this in turn means I am not focusing on whatever brought me down in the first place.

Thanks for joining me in this little introduction to Frisbee training. Join me next time for a few tips on picking your own potential disc dog.

Chris Engel

Team-Bandit

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Successful Frisbee Dog Adoption

You can't miss this video. At Disc Dog Nation, you'll find Chris's blog and a video of his new pup, Kota.

Congratulations to Kota for finding a forever home with Chris. You may remember seeing Kota in my sidebar, as Kodi, a pup looking for an adoptive home.  You'll hardly believe what you see Kota do in the video at this link, after a few short weeks with his new owner. Bravo!

Dog Park Fun: Wait for Me! I Want that Frisbee too!

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2008

Oliver Races after Tanner

As He Catches the Frisbee Like a Pro

Poor Oliver! The Frisbee is bigger than he is, so there's just no catching it for him. The same goes for fetch with a tennis ball. He can't even pick up a tennis ball with his pint sized mouth.

No matter. He gets his exercise at the dog park by chasing Tanner, while Tanner chases the ball or Frisbee. Sometimes, it is even another dog that Tanner is chasing. It really doesn't matter to Oliver. He simply enjoys chasing Tanner.

At home I have a few really small balls that Oliver can chase. They're a choking hazard for bigger dogs, so I keep them at home for our private playtime. It's a good thing he is small, because I cannot throw very far. At the dog park, I have to use a Chucker to throw the balls for Tanner. That thing works great.


This is an image I almost never see my dogs copying. This fella was simply enjoying the view, while getting a nice head rub. Ahh! The pleasures of a day at the park.


My guys like this attitude a bit more....there's nothing like a good run. I'm surprised Tanner wasn't in this race, as he rarely misses an opportunity to run with the big boys.

Got any dog park pictures to share? I'd love to receive them and show off your "kids". Send them to me at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com and I'll post them in another dog park post. If you're a dog park enthusiast like Tanner, Oliver and Xena, you can visit Adopt a Dog Park to learn how you can help keep our precious dog parks clean and green. With government budgets shrinking, we're probably going to lose our funding. That means park users will have to step up to keep the parks in good shape. Stop in and see what you can do to help.